Moscow theaters provide the audience with a huge selection of different types of art. Classical performances or modern avant-garde actions collect numerous full houses in the capital. Many creative movements are based on the immortal schools of Stanislavsky, Gnesina and other equally significant personalities.
People in love with their profession, completely absorbed in Melpomene, erect art churches. The Pokrovsky Theater, thanks to its creator, takes pride of place in the Moscow creative environment.
History of creation
Boris Alexandrovich Pokrovsky began work on the small opera Not Only Love in 1972. The successful work of the talented composer Shchedrin laid the foundation for the existence of the Pokrovsky chamber theater.
The enthusiasm of the chief director knew no bounds. Thinly sensing the surrounding world through art, a student of E. Gnesina, Boris Alexandrovich collaborated with all the "stars" of the era or was their pioneer. The master’s energy was enough for teaching in GITIS, for performing productions at the Bolshoi Theater, and finally, for creating his own brainchild, free of pressure from censorship, where young actors can embody bold creative ideas.
But even the eminent honored director for the birth of a new project, not all roads were open. The theaters of Moscow hosted a young collective with their performances, until thanks to the efforts of T. Khrennikov and D. Shostakovich in 1974 he officially became entrenched in the basement of a residential building.
The thorny path to success
Having occupied the former premises of the Sokol cinema, the main director was faced with a host of domestic problems. In a former bomb shelter that did not comply with any state sanitary and fire safety standards, the new Pokrovsky Theater still lived with great difficulty. The unique musical taste of the master allowed the creative object to quickly win the love of the audience. Popularity helped in 1997 to change the stage, and today the citadel of opera is located at ul. Nikolskaya, d.17.
Favorite productions
One of the business cards is the premiere work of D. Shostakovich Nose. Bright original Gogol's irony was revealed thanks to the works included in the production of Dead Souls, Notes of a Madman, Overcoat, and Marriage. Dmitry Shostakovich himself categorically objected to opera, his self-criticism knew no bounds. Thanks to the participation of Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky, "Nose" was seen not only by Moscow, but the whole world. Pokrovsky Theater and after the death of the cult composer preserves the work in its original form.
The production of Don Giovanni, or the Punished Libertine, where the great conductor Lev Ossovsky also participated, still gathers a full hall. Mozart’s eternal music creates an amplitude of mood from sparkling humor to hopeless tragedy. Having already replaced several cast members for more than a quarter of a century, the work preserved the founder’s ideological concept.
The "adventures of the rake" in Soviet times had a huge resonance. The production touched on the issues of the soul and existence of Lucifer, which hated the theatrical tendency to create only real life pictures. Joint work with Joseph Sumbatashvili and the unchanging Gennady Rozhdestvensky brought huge success and love to the viewer. And today, visiting the performance, you can catch the invisible hand of the master, which still sets the right direction for the actors' play.
The Pokrovsky Musical Theater can rightfully be proud of the production of V.A. Mozart. Behind the scenes of the creative workshop is revealed to the viewer in the most vivid colors. The morals of capricious artists, entangled in endless intrigues in the struggle for a better place under the spotlights, are best conveyed through fun dialogues and a light musical leitmotif.
Innovative approach
Pokrovsky Theater sharply differed in the direction of its productions. The main director wanted the viewer who came to see his work to plunge into the fairy extravaganza, which is so far from the realities of life's problems.
It was hard for the meter to implement his innovative ideas with experienced artists, and thanks to teaching, he recruited a team of his own students from GITIS. All the students of Pokrovsky had excellent data, and the invaluable experience of working under the guidance of a great master helped to polish their talent and continue their further successful career. Each work was carried out with an emphasis not on scenery, costumes or even vocal data. The main thing was the actor’s ability to convey emotion to the viewer, who, by will, became a participant in the action.
The long-beaten-up material from every Moscow scene was not interesting to Boris Alexandrovich. Thanks to the talented colleagues, Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky and Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich, he was able to realize all his ideas and plans. The cast has inspiredly worked on complex and interesting productions, conveying a dramatic play through the means of music.
Transformation Mastery
The inconspicuous building of the old bomb shelter, which housed the Pokrovsky Theater, has become the center of cultural life not only in Moscow or the Union. Even sophisticated foreign audiences were delighted with the works created by a talented creative alliance.
The smallest detail, gesture, pose, stress - everything is organic. The actor confidently plays on stage, skillfully conveying the inner world of his hero. Admirers of musical art, having visited only one performance, will be able to appreciate the huge contribution of the director, who hones the slightest movement of each character on the stage to perfection.
Boris Alexandrovich possessed the talent of a teacher who, with paternal love, transmitted knowledge to his “child” in order to continue the development of the opera craft.
Once again, passing the new work through the prism of its genius, the legendary leader managed to create a completely new masterpiece, relevant and in demand today.
Continuing to live
The Moscow State Academic Chamber Theater of Pokrovsky today works without his beloved director. But, having given a lot of energy to different scenes, both domestic and foreign, the titan of opera continues to live in the native walls of his brainchild. The high level set by the master allows his students to set works that serve as a guideline for mastery, both for actors and spectators. The genius of Pokrovsky continues to be embodied in no less talented productions of his students around the world.